When Professor Catherine Potvin was asked in 2019 to give a keynote address to a conference in Germany on the impact of climate change on forests, the irony was not lost on her. Given that air travel is a major source of carbon emissions, she didn’t see how she could justify flying there.
Fortunately, she had an alternative: a McGill multimedia studio that offers video production values that far surpass what is available on Teams or Zoom.
“It’s ideal for researchers who would like to give a remote presentation in a professional setting,” said Frank Roop, a Producer at Video Production. “We’re going to make sure they look good and sound good, and it’s a little more formal than just sitting in your office.”
Equipped with professional cameras, lights, audio equipment and sound insulation – funded by the Sustainability Projects Fund – the studio is the ideal venue for recording podcasts, television interviews and online lectures. It also provides researchers with the opportunity to present and attend academic events remotely, reducing the University’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Potvin asked the organizers of the conference in Germany, the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research, whether she could present her talk remotely. After initially declining her request, the Centre agreed.
Despite distance, differing time zones and an early timeslot, “it was perfect. Frank set up the room, displayed my slides, and collaborated with the A/V person in Germany. So instead of worrying about the technical aspects, I just had to give the lecture.”
She could even see the audience gathered for her talk.
“It was outstanding.”
Secret sustainability weapon
As well as being a secret weapon in McGill’s sustainability efforts, the studio also eliminates researchers’ travel time, travel costs and any technical concerns they may have regarding their presentation.
“We’d like more people to be aware of the media room,” said François Miller, Executive Director of Sustainability. “Choosing to use this space to participate in a conference instead of taking a plane is a key way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
Tiffanie Perrault’s experience with the studio was similarly seamless. Now an Assistant Professor of economics at Grand Valley State University in Michigan, she was previously a Postdoctoral Researcher at McGill. During that time, she was invited to participate in an educational video project with a New York City journalist, and she did so from the studio.
“It’s an amazing resource. I was impressed,” said Perrault. “The team was so professional and efficient.”
Perrault was only one of several economists from around North America who participated in the video project.
“Imagine if you had everyone flying in from all over to be in New York for 30 minutes – it makes absolutely no sense!” she said.
Targeting air travel
Although both Potvin and Perrault know how important in-person networking is for researchers, “the studio definitely has a role to play,” said Potvin.
“Many of us are concerned with climate change and the related effects, yet we keep hopping on planes to give a talk. It doesn’t make sense.”
The practice is also incompatible with McGill’s sustainability goals: the University aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040.
Last year, McGill staff, faculty and students took 7,779 flights as part of McGill-related activities. Those flights generated approximately 5,530 tonnes of CO2 equivalent – equal to the average annual carbon footprint of 658 Quebecers.
Reducing travel emissions – especially from flights – is essential to achieving McGill’s targets.
“Each kilogram of CO2 that we avoid is a gain for the planet and a step toward McGill’s carbon neutrality goal,” said Miller.
For more information about using the multimedia studio, please contact frank.roop@mcgill.ca.
To learn more about the studio and video production services available at McGill please visit McGill Video Production Studio.